Immediate Service Area

In a boundary survey, the surveyor is working with an existing piece of property with a deed recorded in the local Court House. Usually it has been many years since the property has been surveyed. Grothman & Associates, S.C. is contracted to research the deed for the property and adjoining property deeds, locate any existing property corners and reset all missing corners. This process can range from a very simple re-staking of a single family home lot in an existing subdivision so a fence can be installed to a very complex boundary resolution of several hundred acres with very old deeds referencing trees or rocks as property markers.

Grothman & Associates may also become a mediator when there are disputes over property lines between neighbors.

The primary purpose of a CSM is to divide land into lots and is often referred to as a minor land division. CSM’s are recorded at the county Register of Deeds office. Each County, City, Village and Township may have their own requirements for creating new land parcels. Consult with Grothman & Associates on these issues prior to making a decision to sell or buy property.

A Subdivision allows the creation of any number of lots. The primary use of a subdivision is for residential, commercial or industrial developments. Subdivisions are regulated by State Statutes and reviewed by state and local governmental agencies. The process for preparing a subdivision is generally done in steps.

The first step is a design concept which centers on the developers market desires and parameters dictated by local ordinances. This step is followed by the second and third steps, which are the preliminary and final plats of the subdivision. Each of these steps requires reviews and approvals or objection from local municipal governments and the State Department of Administration. Following the approval processes the Final Plat with all the detailed dimensional information is recorded at the Register of Deeds.

The subdivision plat contains not only the lots, but road dedications, various types of easements, building setbacks, flood plain information and other pertinent data to the buyer. Many subdivisions have covenants designed to protect the buyer’s property value.

A Condo Plat is a document by which a Condominium development is created. Grothman & Associates works closely with the attorney of your choice to prepare the Condominium Documents and Declaration.

A Condominium is only a form of ownership. It is not necessarily a multi-story apartment building. Many condominiums in Wisconsin are single family homes and duplexes. Many times there are common areas and limited common areas with specific uses. All of these details are mapped out and explained between the Condo Plat and the declaration.

A topographic survey is a three dimensional survey map showing spot elevations and/or contours, existing structures, utility locations, fence lines, waterways, etc. It is primarily used for the design of new buildings, parking areas and drainage plans.

A topographic map shows both natural and man-made features. A detailed topographic map, showing natural terrain, along with roads, existing buildings, and utilities, is necessary for good civil engineering design. Grothman & Associates prepares topographic mapping for small sites, or when elevation accuracy is critical, by field surveying.

Another method used for preparation of topographic features is global positioning systems (GPS). GPS is used at sites that are open and free of tree canopy, where an all terrain vehicle (ATV) can be freely maneuvered over the existing terrain. A GPS receiver is attached to the ATV and ground measurements are made while in the process of driving the vehicle.

For large scale mapping, 30-50 acres and above, Grothman & Associates employs an aerial photogrametry company. Grothman & Associates then performs a field survey of known or set control points visible from the air. This control is provided to the photogrametry company which then flies the site and photographs it with a special mapping camera. This photograph is then turned into a map using a stereoplotter and provided to Grothman & Associates as a computer file. The file is loaded into our Design system and the design work begins.

A mortgage survey is used to retrace a parcel’s boundary lines according to that parcel’s recorded deed and to locate improvements on a parcel. Banks and title companies use this survey to verify that no encroachments, occupation or deed line discrepancies are associated with the property.

A mortgage survey is not intended to be a survey of the premises. This inspection is for the clients information and is not to be used for new construction or other purposes. Lot distances are usually taken from the deed furnished by the client.

When a parcel of land is mapped in the flood plain by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) flood insurance is required when buildings are involved. There can be discrepancies between mapped and actual elevations. If the property is surveyed out of the flood plain the surveyor will map the actual property elevations, including the lowest elevation within a building such as its basement or crawl space. This map, along with additional information may be submitted as a LOMA (Letter of Map Amendment) to FEMA. The requirement for flood insurance can be released and the FEMA maps will be revised.

Flood plain surveys are also used in flood plain areas where new construction is required to be built two feet above the 100 Year Flood Elevation. The surveyor will set a reference point (benchmark) for the construction phase.

An as-built survey is usually requested by a lending institution or public entity to verify or document that a particular structure be it a commercial building, sewer line or roadway has been built as planned; within all setbacks and not in conflict with any existing easements. 

An ALTA Survey is a specialized Boundary Survey of a property that adheres to strict standards developed by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). An essential part of any legal ownership of land, the boundaries of a property must be properly and professionally delineated, making note of any easements or public right-of-way, or any other addition to or deletion from the property throughout the course of the parcel’s history. Clearly defining the boundaries of a property prevents any dispute over where one parcel ends and another begins. An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey is a foundational component of any real estate due diligence period and is necessary to obtain comprehensive Title Insurance for any property as a buyer, seller, or owner. 

In a Hydrographic or Underwater Survey, the surveyor collects data relating to bodies of water, and may include the water depth, bottom contours and configuration, directions and velocity of current, heights and water stages, and the location of fixed objects for navigational purposes. These types of surveys are useful in pier planning and defining a land owner's Exclusive Riparian Zone in a body of water.

A Property Description or Legal Description is a written record of a piece of land containing information that clearly identifies it without necessarily being supported by a graphic depiction (map) or Plat of Survey of the property. These descriptions should be clear enough and reference existing and computed monumentation so that the reader can retrace the boundary by “walking” through the steps outlined in the description from a specific point of beginning located in the field. A legal description provides legal evidence of the boundaries and allows a surveyor to accurately determine property lines at a later time. This is incredibly useful and necessary during real estate transactions or disputes. The description will typically appear on sales contracts and the property deed. To prepare accurate Property Descriptions, Grothman & Associates conducts a detailed review of plat records and instruments of title, very often supplemented by field verification, to confirm that the description is a true representation of the parcel described. 

A Highway Right-of-Way Corridor is a public right to travel unhindered over a piece of land, even if that land is privately owned. Generally, this term is in reference to sidewalks and streets that are located on city or town property. However, even if the public right of way is on such public property, any landowner adjacent to the right of way may have a responsibility to keep the public right of way safe for travel by pedestrians. A public right of way can be differentiated from a “private right of way,” which is usually referred to as an “easement.” Grothman & Associate staff is qualified and has decades of experience researching, creating, retracing, and “monumenting” Highway Right-of-Way Corridors with the goal of documenting and/or ensuring that their boundaries are clearly and accurately marked in the field. 

Project Layouts, also known as Construction Staking, is the process of taking planned improvements and buildings, and then actually mapping them out on the site where the construction will take place. It plays a vital role in helping an organization make the leap from plans and blueprints to actual construction work and help ensure that newly constructed improvements are placed at the locations and ground elevations specified in the construction plans. 

Grothman & Associates has Certified Soil Testers and Designer of Engineering Systems on staff qualified and experienced to provide Soil Testing and Design services related to Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) such as Mound Systems, At-Grade Systems and Pressure Distribution. The soil test and evaluation process estimate the rate at which the water will drain into the ground. The results determine whether the site has adequate capability to support such systems and if the municipality will allow a septic system to be installed on-site. System designers use the results to design/size septic infiltration fields. 

A Plat of Survey is one of the most common types of surveys that is used for defining the boundaries of an existing parcel of land. The corner stakes of a parcel are either found and verified or the corner stakes are set in the event a prior survey does not exist. A detailed map is furnished as a deliverable.

Grothman & Associates has a reputation for high quality and professional planning services, ranging from site selection, conceptual design, phasing plans to rezoning. Our staff is qualified and well-versed in the following:

• Site Selection
• Land Use & Master Planning
• Comprehensive Plans
• Special Area Plans
• Growth Management Plans
• Infrastructure Plans
• Redevelopment Plans
• Land Development Strategies
• Zoning Ordinances
• Subdivision Regulations
• Opinions of Probable Cost of Construction 
• Meeting Facilitation

Grothman & Associate’s site development staff have built long-term client relationships in the areas of commercial, office, industrial, retail, and residential development in our area of service. Our team will provide the following professional services to efficiently complete a successful site development project.

• Preliminary & Final Site Development Plans
• Storm Drainage & Detention Studies
• Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans
• Street & Roadway Plans
• Sanitary Sewer Plans
• Water Main Plans
• Landscaping Plans
• Environmental Compliance
• Flood Studies & Floodplain Certificates
• Wetland Delineation/Mitigation & Permits
• Utility Coordination
• Demolition Plans
• Erosion Control Plans, Grading Plans, & NPDES Permits
• Geotechnical Investigations
• Vehicle Turn Analysis
• Cost Analysis
• Construction Observation
• Dam Safety Evaluations

Grothman & Associates is committed to designing residential communities to the highest standards for families across the state. Our team offers the following professional residential development services:

• Land Use & Master Planning
• Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
• Wetland Delineation/Mitigation & Permits
• Preliminary & Final Site Development Plans
• Storm Drainage & Detention Studies
• Storm Water Prevention Protection Plan
• Storm Sewer Plans
• Sanitary Sewer Plans
• Water Main Plans
• Landscape Plans
• Utility Coordination
• Street & Roadway Plans
• Erosion Control Plans, Grading Plans & NPDES Compliance
• Retaining Wall Plans
• Construction Staking
• Construction Observation
• Subdivision Plan Review

It is Grothman & Associates commitment to provide our Commercial and Institutional clients with the most complete and professional development and design services tailored to the specific needs of each project. Our services cover all site development aspects of each project so that our client’s experience throughout the process is as smooth as possible. Our commercial and institutional clients receive excellent and professional service in the following areas:

• Site Selection Studies
• Land Use & Master Planning
• Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
• Wetland Delineation/Mitigation & Permits
• Preliminary & Final Site Development Plans
• Storm Drainage & Detention Studies
• Storm Water Prevention Protection Plans
• Water, Storm and Sanitary Sewer Design
• Landscaping Plans
• Utility Coordination
• Street & Roadway Plans
• Erosion Control Plans, Grading Plans & NPDES Compliance
• Construction Observation

With our society’s increased understanding of the need to control both the quality and quantity of storm water runoff, the design of storm water management facilities has gotten considerably more complex. Similarly, the design of engineering projects in the stream environment requires a specialized set of skills to responsibly deal with the regulations, the uncertainty, and the variety of risks inherent in such projects. Our capabilities in these areas include the following:

• Stormwater detention design
• Water quality BMP design
• Storm sewer design
• Hydrologic studies
• Construction phase erosion control management
• Hydraulic & Hydrologic (H&H) Studies
• Culvert Design
• Energy Dissipator Design
• Stream Stabilization and Grade Control
• FEMA/LOMA Permits and Certifications
• Floodplain Development and Permitting